The QB Carousel

Neophyte

Neophyte

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I'm putting this in SoW because we aren't settled at the position and this new front office appears seriously willing to entertain any/all possibilities. I figured a single thread to track where guys land and how teams appear to be leaning might be helpful in discussing what we might do, and I didn't want to muddy up the QB or Not QB thread with the rest of the league.

I think it is also important to remember that with the exception of who goes #1 in April, we control our destiny here. We draft #2 and we have cap space to sign an FA QB we want.
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With the release of Wilson by Denver, there are several veteran options available out there on the open market. Names like Wilson, Cousins, Mayfield, and Brissett.

We can ditch some teams from the off because they are settled or appear to be settled - Philadelphia, NYJ, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Detroit, Green Bay, Dallas, Houston, LAC, LAR, and San Francisco all fall into this category (at least for me). That is 18 teams - just over half the league. Granted, Pittsburgh and Carolina might be question marks but both teams appear to be committed to sticking with recent draft picks Pickett and Young respectively. The NYJ might also be somewhat in play for a longer-term solution as Rogers can't play much longer.

The other 14 teams land in one of two categories - Definitely Looking or Might Be Looking - and I see them lining up like this.

Definitely Looking
Atlanta - Sign Cousins? Trade for Fields? Trade up in April?
Denver - who the hell knows?
Minnesota - doesn't appear willing to give Cousins another big money, guaranteed contract so in the market


Might Be Looking
New Orleans - has Carr but has to think they can do better
Tampa Bay - reportedly wants to sign Mayfield long term but can they?
Cleveland - has Watson but he isn't playing like Watson, however, he has a guaranteed contract
Tennessee - is likely to stick with Levis but there is a new staff so...
NYG - put big money into Jones a year ago but there are rumors of buyer's remorse
Chicago - keep Fields and trade #1 or draft Williams and trade Fields
Seattle - has Smith but has a new head coach so might be thinking they can do better
Arizona - has Murray but ?? remain there
Las Vegas - has Jimmy G & O'Connell but reports are they are looking to trade up (if Al were still alive, I'd confidently write in Wilson's name here)

Could Go Either Way
Washington - Howell or draft choice or both
New England - Jones or draft choice or both


QB Moves this Off-Season
Mitch Trubiskey - 2 yr deal with Buffalo to back up Allen
 
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Nice job 👊🏼

Not sure though that I personally would put Pittsburgh in the settled camp. I don’t think that they are even close to enamored with Kenny Pickett. I think they very well might take a long and hard look at Justin Fields.
 
I agree. Great list Neophyte. I also agree Pittsburgh is not settled with Pickett. Now, I do think they are committed to him for 2024, but i think their commitment level is somewhere between the Giants to Jones and New Orleans to Carr. What makes that situation interesting is that Pittsburgh is usually not a big free agent spender. And I think that is where they could immediately turn their team around by getting a guy like Cousins. That’s just not their history of doing business though.

I think that looking at this list for possible trade partners is also interesting. Me personally, I don’t want to see this team go lower than the Falcons at 8. I just don’t want to drop too low and lose out on talent. Of course if they are active on the QB carousel, then get as much as you can for that 2nd pick. I don’t think this team is a QB away, so why spend on an older veteran.
 
Kenny Pickett isn't an NFL starter IMO. Pittsburgh's organization has a history of being patient with coaches, players, etc. and that has mostly played out well for them over the years, but the quarterback situation since Roethlisberger decline has been mismanaged by the GM and front office.

Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett are backups. No amount of patience is going to change that.
 
Kel Varnsen hit on what I was driving at - Pittsburgh is apparently set on Pickett for 2024. At least that is what is being reported by a number of quarters.

However, this is the NFL and we are smack in the middle of the Season of Lies so take that for what it's worth.
 
I hope you are right. That means when Pittsburgh comes up on the schedule it will be easier to compete with them.
 
I think the ideal way for all this to play out is if the staff does not see a huge difference in all these QBs and can parlay that 2nd overall pick into a bevy of other picks, while still selecting one somewhere else in the draft either on day one or two. If you play your cards right and fool someone into believing that Daniels or Maye are the answer, you can fast track the road to success during this rebuild. Obviously though, that comes down to the trust you have in your talent evaluators, and their ability to get it right.

On the other hand, if Maye or Daniels are head and shoulder above everyone else, in theory, you should come out on top anyways if you go ahead and select the one you deem to be a franchise signal caller.

SilentThreat calls it silly season I believe. I will sit back and believe nothing until the pick card is finally handed in at the end of April.
 
Vegas is expected to cut Jimmy G, I think if that happens ya gotta shuffle the board a bit. Could he go back to NE after his two game suspension? Wasn't conjecture that Kraft loved him but had to choose between Brady? Cousins, greedy, yes, stat padder, yes, nerves of jello when it counts, definitely shaky. What if Kyle and Lynch convince him on a decent deal to chase a SB? I have zero inside information, insight, relevance of any kind whatsoever in what the "reports" are saying but I know this, fuck Dallas.
 
On the trade note, I’d like to see them trade with someone who is expecting to be bad next year. I would not make any trade that did not come with a first round pick next year. I’m sure there is math that works out where someone could trade a bunch of 2nd and 3rd round picks for the same value. But unless you are Kevin Costner and this is a movie, you are asking for a first next year along with whatever else you get. With that in mind, the teams in the top 10 that look to be bad again next year are the Bears, Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Titans, and Falcons. The Jets will win games if Rodgers plays and the Chargers will improve with Harbaugh. Outside of the top 10, the Vikings have question marks at QB if they don’t sign Cousins, and the Raiders and Broncos look bad too.

Back to the top 10, the Bears can take any QB they want at #1, and I still think it’s foolish to move up 1 spot unless you are certain you have the next HOF QB, so mark out the Pats.

The Giants would make sense, but I don’t think they trade to draft a QB when they have Jones. They also probably don’t want to hand over their future drafts to a division rival. But I think they see how the draft is going and if they want a QB at 6 and he’s there, they take him. I view the Cardinals the same way, but not quite as desperate at QB. I think they still like Murray, but it’s not as sure of a love as it used to be. Small chance at a QB and only if the one they want falls. Tennessee I think fits this category too. They will go with Levis unless someone falls into their laps.

To me, that leaves the Falcons as the most likely candidate. Although I suspect they look to sign a vet or trade for Fields. If they don’t, they could be a great fit for Daniels. He’s an SEC guy and the marketing possibilities in Atlanta will be through the roof. They do have a bad division so it’s possible they don’t suck next year, or that they make the playoffs with a mediocre record. But a trade with Atlanta makes the most sense to me.

The teams outside the top 10, anything is possible. I’m just not as excited to trade out of the top 10. Plus, Denver has no draft capital this year. They don’t have a second round pick, and their 3rd is from New Orleans. I think to move down that far, you need to have another top pick this year.

That’s how I see things. I am a multiple time Madden and Fantasy football winner, so take all this with a grain of salt knowing I’ve only had some success in the fake football world. I have no real life experience and have never been held responsible for a single draft pick or signing. So I have no failures on my permanent record. Just opinions with little knowledge.
 
Steelers are set to meet with Russell Wilson :LOL:

That unqualified support for Kenny Pickett just went out the window.
 
If Wilson can’t make it work with the Steelers, he’s not going to make it work anywhere. The structure they have in Pittsburgh with a players coach like Tomlin, he’s not going to find a better situation. This will be his last chance. I’m not sure I’ve seen a guy falls from grace so fast without there being an injury or off field issue. He went from All Pro to straight up sucking overnight. And now no one likes him because he still acts like he’s All Pro.
 
Teams don't trade franchise quarterbacks at 32 years of age unless there is something they are seeing on or off the field that causes them to take that major of a step.

The new owners of the Broncos no doubt got steamrolled into this deal by the prior front office and gave up $160M for a declining asset.

I don't think Russell Wilson is done as a player, but he is no longer worth a salary among the top 10 passers.

The Steelers don't give out big money deals too often so my guess is they are value shopping.

If he wants to play in Pittsburgh it's going to be for a LOT LESS money than he has seen on a contract in the past 10 years.
 
Wilson is going to make 39m next season. It doesn’t make one iota of difference what the Steelers or any other team pays him (except to Denver).

I would expect he signs a 1 year deal.
 
It would have made more sense for the Broncos to keep Wilson for another season and draft a young passer and then transition in 2025.

The cap hit would have been a lot less.

But I guess what we are learning is Sean Payton is not a patient man.

He's going to blow up the team to get rid of one player and ensure the club is 2-15 or 3-14 next season.
 
I've been saying Russell Wilson lost the magic about three-four years back. What made him special was his uncanny ability to move/slide in the pocket, extend plays, and throw effectively on the run. He lost a step about three years ago, and some of his quicks, and as a result became just a guy physically. He can still generate some offense when things are right around him, because he's a smart football player with a decent arm, but he's no longer a difference-maker week in and week out when his team needs a lift.

That's the thing about QB's whose primary superpower is their legs/mobility. That fades over time quicker than process- and pocket-smarts.
 
Om said:
I've been saying Russell Wilson lost the magic about three-four years back. What made him special was his uncanny ability to move/slide in the pocket, extend plays, and throw effectively on the run. He lost a step about three years ago, and some of his quicks, and as a result became just a guy physically. He can still generate some offense when things are right around him, because he's a smart football player with a decent arm, but he's no longer a difference-maker week in and week out when his team needs a lift.

That's the thing about QB's whose primary superpower is their legs/mobility. That fades over time quicker than process- and pocket-smarts.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I've been saying that this whole time but I've definitely been thinking it. :)
 
I think Wilson in a more conservative offense with a running game and good TE in the passing game can be a game manager for a bridge year for a club.

Pittsburgh might be the right destination as Wilson is already being paid by Denver and the current passers, Pickett and Rudolph, are backups.

Plus, outside of Antonio Brown I haven't seen a player that didn't relate to and play his best for Mike Tomlin.
 
Bringing in a mercenary at QB isn't really Pittsburgh's style. When was the last time they did that? Tomczak?

Bringing in Wilson seems almost desperate.

For them.
 
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